5am. Still dark. I’m drinking coffee on my porch and listening to Buddhist chanting that’s floating on the wind from a temple several neighborhoods away.

Now it’s getting closer! Are they walking this way? In my first year here, I’d occasionally catch early morning prayer vigils parading down my street, complete with elephant.

I don’t think they’re getting closer. I think it’s a combination of shifting wind + louder chanting.

I wonder if those dudes are wearing masks? Their chanting is so monotonous, working themselves into a trance-like state. If they can hear sounds from my direction, my dog’s barking is probably screwing up their concentration

Sunrise is in about 20 minutes. Wonder if I’ll hear the call to prayer soon? Probably not because every parakeet on the island just woke up

Yes! Call to prayer. Right on time